Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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SLIP RESISTANT EXPANSION OVERSHOE
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to footwear,
and in particular, to an expansion overshoe with improved
slip resistance.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Footwear is intended to protect the human foot during
various activities. A
few popular categories of footwear
may be generalized as athletic, casual, dress, or work
shoes.
Footwear within each category may be designed to
address conditions of the human foot or the environment for
which the footwear is worn.
For example, certain
conditions may include orthopedic shoes or dress shoes,
while environmental conditions may dictate the need for
waterproof shoes or shoes having soles capable of
traversing slippery surfaces.
Materials of construction
for footwear vary, but most commonly are directed to
leather, canvas, or petrochemical derived materials.
The footwear categories and conditions that an
individual may encounter lead to a countless variety of
shoes which can be manufactured.
Unfortunately, a shoe
manufacture cannot predict every condition a consumer may
encounter, so it is commonplace that footwear created for a
particular condition is subjected to another condition.
For instance, a dress shoe constructed from a leather upper
member and leather sole is designed for indoor formal use;
such a shoe can be ruined quickly if the individual steps
in a water puddle or the like damp conditions.
Another
dress shoe may be constructed from a leather upper member
and rubber sole to handle damp conditions, but, unless the
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correct rubber sole material is employed, the sole may
create a most dangerous condition should the individual
attempt to traverse oil or grease covered surfaces.
A consumer may like a particular shoe due to its
ornamental styling or comfort, but is likely to find that
same shoe can be outright dangerous on slippery surfaces.
For instance, an athletic walking shoe is known to provide
a comfortable platform and may appear to have a non-slip
surface.
However, the outsole of a conventional walking
shoe may amplify the slickness of a surface, enhancing the
possibility of the individual falling.
It is well known in the industry that service
personnel working in restaurants are subjected to slippery
floors due to food spillage, grease/oil spillage, and so
forth.
Should service personnel be wearing improper
footwear, an individual can slip and fall.
Restaurant
owners that care for their employees and realize the
liability associated with such an environment will require
the employees to wear slip resistant shoes. The Applicant
is a leader in the industry for providing specialty shoe
materials and treads designed specifically for extremely
slippery areas, such as restaurants.
U.S. Patent No.
8,322,050, issued to the present inventor, discloses a slip
resistant outsole that includes chevron shaped treads for
channeling water and grease away from the ground engaging
treads. However, there will always be instances where an
individual chose to wear footwear that is not designed for
the slippery situation that may be encountered.
Reasons
can vary, such as the individual has feet with special
needs, or simply the individual places design before
function.
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The use of an overshoe is known in the art. An
overshoe allows an individual to wear a shoe of their
liking, yet provide an outsole capable of providing
traction on slick surfaces. A common overshoe is used to
5 protect footwear when worn in snow/slush conditions. An
overshoe also provides the ability to adapt to various
sizes, types and styles of shoes.
However, a common
complaint of overshoes is the difficultly in placing over a
shoe, especially an overshoe capable of protecting various
shoe sizes.
Further, many shoes may have inert non-slip
tendencies formed in the sole despite the upper being
unable to withstand wet conditions. Use of an overshoe is
beneficial to protect the upper, but the non-slip sole
makes installing an overshoe difficult.
Many different shoe soles have been proposed to
prevent an individual from slipping. U.S. Patent 8,322,050
discloses a footwear sole having a plurality of tread
members formed thereon.
The tread members include
projections or lugs of various sizes and shapes which are
grouped together into specific patterns. The material from
which the projections are formed increases the shoe sole's
ability to resist slipping on floor surfaces which are
covered with oil, water, soap, etc. The shape and pattern
of the projections or lugs enable them to resist flexing
and disengaging the floor surface, which increases the
footwear sole's ability to resist slipping.
In U.S. Patent No. 3,717,943, the sole of a boot or
overshoe is made from rubber and includes fins and grooves.
The fins cooperate with the grooves to trap air within the
grooves. The air facilitates the self cleaning feature of
the boots, which removes mud and other substances from the
soles of the boots.
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U.S. Patent No. 4,202,116 discloses a tread for a
sport shoe which includes a sole having projections
extending outwardly from a tread surface.
The tread
includes a one-piece, thin walled, metal part with at least
two separate, dimensionally reinforced surface sections
bearing the integrally molded projections. The reinforced
surface includes a plurality of embossed, smooth-surfaced
and beveled projections. The metal part is fixedly secured
to an inner surface of the shoe sole by either a thin wire
grid embedded in the synthetic resin sole or uniformly
distributed perforations.
U.S. Patent No. 4,274,211 discloses a shoe sole made
of flexible rubber material with a non-slip profile.
The
sole includes a plurality of various sized projections or
layered elements. The elements include surfaces which are
made from materials that are slip resistant. In
addition
to being slip resistant, the structure and spacing of the
projections prevents the accumulation of mud and other
debris on the soles of the shoes.
U.S. Patent No. 7,047,672 discloses a shoe sole which
is designed to be used on a sand surface. The sole is made
from a compressed material having an upper surface and a
lower surface. A peripheral lip projects downwardly from
the lower surface of the sole. A
plurality of fins also
project downwardly from the lower surface. This
type of
construction enables efficient propulsion in sandy
environments.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2009/0188132
discloses a slip resistant shoe sole which includes a
plurality of ground contacting projections. The
ground
contacting projections are V-shaped and are spaced from one
another by a predetermined distance in a longitudinal
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direction of the sole of the shoe.
The V-shaped
projections also include reinforcements at their base. The
projections are made from an elastomeric polymer with a
specific JIS-hardness. This material increases the shoe's
ability to resist slipping, and the shape of the
projections increase their resistance to avoid bending and
deformation.
U.S. Patent No. 7,703,221 discloses a sole assembly
for a shoe which includes a flexible base having an
underside surface which includes a forward region, a
rearward region, and an intermediate region therebetween.
The sole includes a plurality of individual sole elements
on the underside thereof.
Each element includes a body
portion and a connecting section which are operatively
secured to the underside surface of the flexible base. The
sole elements are arranged on the underside surface of the
flexible base such that adjacent sole elements have
overlapping sections.
What is needed in the industry is an overshoe having a
sidewall to allow expansion to accommodate a variety of
shoe sizes while providing an outsole that allows an
individual secure footing when traversing slick surfaces.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A slip resistant overshoe is disclosed having a sole
with a flexible shank positioned between a toe section and
a heel section. The sole is connected to an upper member
having a front section spaced apart from a rear section
with opposing side sections. Both the flexible shank and
opposing side sections are formed from a corrugated shape
consisting of a plurality of ridges and grooves. The
corrugated shape is constructed and arranged to allow
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expansion between the toe section and the heel section.
The expansion allows ease of inserting a variety of shoe
sizes and types into the overshoe. The outsole includes a
non-slip tread design, and the insole includes raised
ridges to limit frictional attachment during installation.
An objective of the invention is to disclose a slip
resistant overshoe having expansion sections to accommodate
shoes of various sizes.
Another objective of the invention is to disclose an
overshoe that allows expansion of the shank, wherein the
overshoe has expansion, making it easier to insert a shoe
and allow flexibly in the shank or midsole of the overshoe
so that the flexibility of the installed shoe is not
adversely affected.
Still another objective of the invention is to
disclose an overshoe that allows expansion of a sidewall
section to accommodate a greater range of shoe sizes using
ridges and grooves that match the flexible shank, and then
vary the height and width of the ridges and grooves not
associated with the flexible shank.
Still another objective of the invention is to provide
an overshoe having opposing side sections that are
substantially V-shaped, providing a functional sidewall and
aesthetically pleasing design.
Yet still another objective of the invention is to
provide an overshoe having a flexible shank formed from a
plurality of ridges and grooves having substantially the
same height and width, and upon the stretching of the
overshoe, a flatter surface is obtained, resulting in
greater slip resistance.
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Another objective of the invention is to provide an
expandable shank and expandable upper member formed from a
single molded member.
Still another objective of the invention is to provide
a ribbed insole to assist during shoe installation, wherein
the ribbed insole lessens frictional contact with the
insole to ease installation.
Other objectives and advantages of this invention will
become apparent from the following description taken in
conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein are set
forth, by way of illustration and example, certain
embodiments of this invention.
The drawings constitute a
part of this specification, include exemplary embodiments
of the present invention, and illustrate various objects
and features thereof.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Fig. 1 is a partial cross sectional side view of the
overshoe of the instant invention;
Fig. 2 is a cross sectional side view of the overshoe;
Fig. 3 is a bottom view thereof;
Fig. 4 is a heel view thereof;
Fig. 5 is a bottom view of the overshoe with an
example of a non-slip tread design;
Fig. 6 is a cross section view taken along lines B1-B2
of Figure 5;
Fig. 7 is a cross section view taken along lines Cl-C2
of Figure 5;
Fig. 8 is a cross section view taken along lines D1-D2
of Figure 5; and
Fig. 9 is a top view, illustrating the insole, with
the upper member removed.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
While the present invention is susceptible of
embodiment in various forms, there is shown in the drawings
and will hereinafter be described presently preferred
embodiments with the understanding that the present
disclosure is to be considered an exemplification of the
invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the
specific embodiments illustrated.
Referring in general to the Figures, and in particular
to Figures 1-2, disclosed is the slip resistant overshoe 10
having a sole 12 defined by an insole 14 and an outsole 16.
The sole 12 is further bounded by a toe section 18 spaced
apart from a heel section 20 by a mid-portion, referred to
throughout this specification as a flexible shank 22. An
upper member 24 is connected to the sole 12, either by
weldment or by being formed from a single piece of
material. The upper member 24 includes a front section 32
and a rear section 34 with opposing side sections 36 and 38
forming a cavity 26 for receipt of a shoe 30. The overshoe
10 can accept a variety of shoe sizes, as will be further
described. Each said opposing side section 36, 38 includes
a corrugated section 40 as illustrated by section 36 in
Figure 1, formed between the front section 32 and the rear
section 34.
The corrugated section 40 is further defined as a
plurality of ridges 42 and grooves 44 extending between an
inner surface 46 of the upper member 24 to an outer surface
48 of the upper member 24, as seen more clearly in Figures
6-8. Each side section 36, 38 is substantially V-shaped
with the flexible shank 22 forming a bottom of the section
and extending from the flexible shank 22 toward the upper
member front section 32 as bordered by front section edge
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50, leading to upper section edge 52 beneath a connecting
band 56 and bounded by a rear section edge 54 extending
from flexible shank 22 toward the upper member rear section
34.
The connecting band 56 has a thickness of about 2.8mm
and is positioned between the front section 32 and the rear
section 34 along the upper edge of each corrugated side
section 40 and allows controlled stretching during shoe
installation, but is resistant to additional spacing once
the ridges and grooves of the corrugated side sections have
been fully expanded.
The connecting band 56 operates to
seal the overshoe to the shoe after installation by
providing a smooth inner surface in close proximity to the
installed shoe.
In a preferred embodiment, the ridges 42
and grooves 44 of each corrugated side section 40 along the
center portion of the overshoe 10 are matched with the
ridges 60 and grooves 62 of the flexible shank. Expansion
of this area is effortless since the ridges and grooves
provide sufficient material to allow expansion of the
length of the overshoe, with the connecting band 56
limiting expansion along the upper edge 52, and requiring
stretching of the connecting band 56 if a further length is
required. Similarly, the flexible shank 22 is formed from
a plurality of ridges 60 and grooves 62 extending between
the insole 14 and outsole 16. In the preferred embodiment,
the flexible shank 22 is formed from ridges 60 and grooves
62 having substantially the same height and width.
Further, where the flexible shank 22 meets the side wall
sections 36 and 38, the ridges 60 and grooves 62 match,
forming a U-shaped section having substantially the same
height and width, allowing for a predetermined expansion.
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As with any rubber based overshoe, further stretching of
the overshoe after expansion allows for insertion of an
even larger size shoe.
Further, in this application the
stretching of the sole provides a flatter surface,
resulting in a greater slip resistance.
The slip resistant overshoe is constructed from a
unique slip resistant material.
The slip resistant
material has a hardness of about .49 Shore, based on tests
performed on a Durometer Hardness Tester.
The material
also has a slip resistance rating of .56 - .65 when tested
on a Brungraber Mark 2 Articulated Strut Slip Testing
Device. A slip resistant surface is defined as a surface
having a rating of .50 or higher when tested on the
Brungraber Mark 2 Articulated Strut Slip Testing Device.
It is noted in this disclosure that the ridges 60 and
grooves 62 allow for a predetermined expansion before
stretching of the rubber material is required.
This not
only allows for ease of installation, but further allows
for a larger range of shoe sizes that can be inserted into
the cavity 26. The
flexible shank 22 is constructed and
arranged to allow expansion between the toe section 18 and
the heel section 20 with corrugated sections, allowing
controlled expansion of a predetermined distance between
the front section 32 and the rear section 34. In
the
preferred embodiment, the sole 12 and the upper member 24
are molded as a single member.
The average thickness of
the upper member 24 is about 2mm; the average thickness of
the ridges and grooves is also about 2mm.
Referring to Figures 3-8, the outsole toe section 18
includes a tip section 65 formed from ridges 70 positioned
between the side walls 36 and 38.
The ridges 70 provide
toe traction. The remainder of the outsole forefront 72 is
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formed of a non-slip tread design 76. The tread design 76
depicted is particularly suited to work environments where
the workers are required to traverse slick floor surfaces.
The tread design 76 is formed from sipes 78 formed between
square blocks of nine elements. The sipes 78 are used for
squeegeeing and channeling liquid away from the tread to
prevent slippage. The heel section 20 of the outsole 16 is
also provided with sipes 78 which reduce or prevent both
forward and sideways slippage of the footwear.
Three
channels 79 are formed along the toe section and two
channels 81 are formed along the heel section.
The
channels expand and contract when an individual is walking,
the expanding and contracting provides active cleaning of
the channels by expelling debris.
Each channel is about
3.5mm wide and has a length that extends along the heel
section and the toe section operate in combination with the
sipes to maintain the slip resistance of the overshoe.
Additional channels could be added to the heel and toe
sections, illustrated is the preferred embodiment.
The
ability to expel debris provides an anti-clog function by
causing debris to loosen and fall out.
The anti-clog
function maintains material slip resistance. The channels
further allow expansion of the overshoe to permit ease of
installation and removal.
As illustrated in Figures 6 and 8, the thickness of
the treads is about 5mm, in addition to the 2mm upper
member thickness. To assist in installing a shoe into the
overshoe 10, a tab 84 is formed along the rear section 34,
having gripping tabs 86 to allow frictional engagement of
the tab 84.
Referring now to Figure 9, the insole 14 of the
overshoe 10 includes a plurality of raised ribs 80
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providing spacing between the bottom of a shoe, not shown,
and the inner surface 82 of the insole 14. The raised ribs
80 limit the contact of a shoe being inserted to the tops
of the raised ribs 80. It
is noted that both the outsole
tread design and the material of construction provide for
non-slip surfaces which can further inhibit the insertion
of a shoe into the overshoe. As
the non-slip material
forms the inner surface 82 of the insole 14, limiting the
contact of the shoe to the raised ribs 80 limits surface
contact for ease of shoe insertion. As a
benefit, the
raised ribs 80 further provide a cushion to the individual,
as the weight of an individual will compress the ribs 80
while standing or walking.
The overshoe of the present invention is a one piece
slip resistant molded member defined by an upper member
having a front section spaced apart from a rear section by
opposing side sections and a sole member having a toe
section positioned beneath the upper member and spaced
apart from a heel section by a shank, the heel positioned
beneath the rear section. The
shank is formed of a
plurality of ridges and grooves, the ridges and grooves
extending along a portion of each side section, forming a
continuous U-shaped corrugated section; wherein the shank
and the opposing side sections are constructed and arranged
to allow the stretching of a distance between the front
section 32 and the rear section 34 and the toe section 18
and the heel section 20.
The overshoe has a corrugated section having a
material thickness of about 1.5mm thick formed from the
ridges and grooves alternating between and inner surface 46
and an outer surface 48 about 5.0mm width.
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The ridges 60 and grooves 62 are constructed and
arranged to have a diminishing width extending from a rear
edge of the shank 22 towards the heel section 20, and from
a front edge of the shank 22 towards the toe section 18.
The heel section and the toe section are about 3.5mm from a
bottom surface of the shank 22.
The toe section 18 is
about 2.0mm thick, and the heel section 20 is about 2.0mm
thick.
The overshoe ridges 60 and grooves 62 are constructed
and arranged to stretch substantially the same across the
shank 22 and the opposing side sections 36, 38, and
diminish in stretch along the corrugated section 40,
extending from a rear edge of the shank 22 towards the heel
portion 20, and diminish in stretch along the corrugated
section 40 extending from a front edge of the shank 22
towards the toe section 16. The ridges 60 and grooves 62
can be of varying heights and widths.
A non-corrugated connecting band 46 extends between
the front section 32 and the rear section 34 along an upper
edge of each corrugated section, the connecting band 56 of
a predetermined stretch length.
The outsole of the toe
section 16 and the heel section 18 include a non-slip tread
design.
The insole 14 includes raised ribs 80, allowing
ease of shoe removal.
The term "about" means, in general, the stated value
plus or minus 5%-.
The use of the word "a" or "an" when
used in conjunction with the term "comprising" in the
claims and/or the specification may mean "one," but it is
also consistent with the meaning of "one or more" or "at
least one." The use of the term "or" in the claims is used
to mean "and/or" unless explicitly indicated to refer to
alternatives only or the alternative are mutually
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exclusive, although the disclosure supports a definition
that refers to only alternatives and "and/or."
The terms "comprise" (and any form of comprise, such
as "comprises" and "comprising"), "have" (and any form of
have, such as "has" and "having"), "include" (and any form
of include, such as "includes" and "including") and
"contain" (and any form of contain, such as "contains" and
"containing") are open-ended linking verbs. As a result, a
method or device that "comprises," "has," "includes" or
"contains" one or more steps or elements, possesses those
one or more steps or elements, but is not limited to
possessing only those one or more elements. Likewise, a
step of a method or an element of a device that
"comprises," "has," "includes" or "contains" one or more
features, possesses those one or more features, but is not
limited to possessing only those one or more features.
It is to be understood that while certain forms of the
invention are illustrated, it is not to be limited to the
specific forms or arrangements herein described and shown.
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that
various changes may be made without departing from the
scope of the invention, and the invention is not to be
considered limited to what is shown and described in the
specification and any drawings/figures included herein.
One skilled in the art will readily appreciate that
the present invention is well adapted to carry out the
objectives and obtain the ends and advantages mentioned, as
well as those inherent therein. The embodiments, methods,
procedures and techniques described herein are presently
representative of the preferred embodiments, are intended
to be exemplary, and are not intended as limitations on the
scope. Changes therein and other uses will occur to those
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skilled in the art which are encompassed within the spirit
of the invention and are defined by the scope of the
appended claims. Although the invention has been described
in connection with specific preferred embodiments, it
should be understood that the invention as claimed should
not be unduly limited to such specific embodiments.
Indeed, various modifications of the described modes for
carrying out the invention which are obvious to those
skilled in the art are intended to be within the scope of
the following claims.
